Harvester-cutter



(No Model.)

s. f.. CONNER su J.P. PINCE.

HARVESTER CUTTER.

Patented Apr.10,1883.

WITNBSSBS ATTURNBYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEe SANFORD E. vOONNER AND JAMES P. FINCH, OF VINTON, IOWA.

HARVESTE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,595, dated April 10, 1883.

Application tiled December 27, 18H2. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SANFORD E. GoNNER and JAMES P. FINCH, of Vinton, in the county of Benton and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harvester-Gutters; and we do hereby declare that the followingisa full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others t skilled in the art-towhich it appertains to proved harvester-cutter. tion ofthe same, and Figs.3 and 4 detail views.

make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, andin which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of our im- Fg. 2 is a cross-sec- Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Our invention relates to that class of harvester-cutters traveling inan endless belt or chain 5 and it contemplates certain improvements in the construction and combination of parts of the same, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Cutter-blades have formerly been constructed having the blades fastened upon a shank or base, having a hook or catch upon each side, either in the same plane as the blade or bent at right angles to the same, which had certain disadvantages which our improvement contemplates to overcome. In cutters where the shank and the blade are in the same plane the blades are apt to becomeloose from the shanks, being either fastened by rivets or screws, which would in course of time wear out and workV loose, causing injury to the machine, and the shanks and their engaging-hooks being manufactured of metal having none or very little flexibility, had necessarily to be made suiliciently open to admit the links coupling the cutters together, which would cause the links to separate from the hooks it1 the chain became slackenedl When the shanks are bent f at right angles to the blades they would be subject to the same disadvantages; and, furv straight sides of a square or rectangular link, the springiness of the ends of the hooks allowing the sides ot' the links to be slipped in or out, while they will hold them firmly if the chain is slackened, a certain amount ot' force being necessary to remove the links from the hooks' catching overaud partially around their sides, which will be more particularly pointed out and described with reference to the lettered dra-wings in the following portion of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings, the letterA represents part of the frame of a harvester. B is the drive-pulley, connected by suitable gearing to the drive-axle or drive-wheel of the machine, and C is the endless chain. The chain of knives travels from the drive-pulley B under a guide-pulley, D, which brings the two parts of the chain close together, so as to allow them to travel with their llat sides facing each other, in a groove, E, between two tlat bars, F and G. At the other end of the frame is another pulley, H, over which the chain passes and enters the groove E on its return. This pulley is journaled in boxes I, which slide on bearings JJ in the outer end ot' the frame, and are operated by screws K, passing through a cross-piece, L, at the end of the pieces J. By tightening or loosening the screws K the tension of the chain may be adjusted and slack taken u p.

The lower grooved har, G, is provided with fingers M, by which the knives are prevented from coming in contact with stones, stumps, -or other obstructions on the ground.

open link alternately, and the drive-pulley B and the guide-pulleys are provided with sprockets engaging the open links as they pass over them.

The knit'e N has a blade, O, which may be of any approved shape, and has at its base two wings, P, which are turned upward and inward and slightly downward, so as to form tlat hooks, which engage the ends of theopen links Q, which are plain square links. The hooks or wings P, being but slightly turned inward and downward, admit ot' the knives being easily removed, and the links are held firmly in place when in the chain by the tension-pulley Hand the springiness of the hooks.

It will be seen that the knives moving in op- The chain C consists oi' a knife-link vand an IOO posite directions between the bars F and G, which form the groove E, and are recessed in their facing; surfaces for the passage of the raised portion of the knives and the links, as shown at R, will cutthe grass or grain in front, and having no stationary cutter-fingers they will not be so easily clogged.

The single. knives can be easily removed and sharpened, or new ones substituted in a very short time, and the draftin a machine provided with endless chain is lighter than one provided with a reciprocating bnr.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In a harvester-cutter of the described class, the endless cutter-chain consisting oi' the knife-links N, consisting ot' a blade, 0,having two upward, inward, and slightly downward turned wings or hooks, P, uponthe sides of its base, the whole link made ofone piece of elastio steel, and the rectangular open links Q, adapted to be held clamped by said hooks, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. Aharvester having drive-pulley 1i, guide pulleys D and H, and recessed or grooved bars F and G, in combination with the cutterchain (J, consisting of knives N, having blades O, and laterally extending upward, inward, and downward turned hooks P, made of one piece ot' spring metal, and rectangular open links Q, as and for the purpose shown and set forth. y

ln testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto aflxed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

SANFORD E. GONNE?. JAMES P. FINGH.

Witnesses:

A. B. FoRREsTER,A WILLIAM T. MELVIN. 

